Cover fastener



May 24, 1932. R. D. ANDERSON COVER FASTENER Filed July 12, 1929 A TTORNE Y Patented May 24, 1932 ROY D. ANDERSON, OF LAWRENCE, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR,

THE LAWRENCE PAPER KANSAS BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T

COMPANY, OF LAWRENCE, KANSAS, A CORPORATION OF COVER FASTENER,

Application filed July 12, 1929. Serial No. 377,766.

In ordinary practice means of various kinds are provided for looking or latching opposite edges of a cover to a box body, to close the box. In the instance of packing cases, for example, formed of fibre board, the ends of the cover may be locked to the ends of the body, but the intermediate portions of the cover tend to bulge or warp away from the body, and expose the interior of the box.

The principal objects of my invention are to fasten the center portion of a cover to a box body, to provide means accessory to ordinary cover-securing means for retaining a cover in closing position, to facilitate complete closing of the box by the cover, and to form cover-retaining means integral with normal box elements for simplifying opera tion of the means and reducing cost of construction.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the, accompanying drawings, wherein:

1 is a perspective view of a box con structed in accordance with my invention, shown in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the box body, the cover separate from the body, and clips for latching the ends of the cover to the ends of the body, illustrating the formation of body tongues and lower slots to receive the tongues.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the box including the cover fastener embodying my invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a box body comprising end walls 2 having outwardly downwardly bent upper edge hooks or flanges 3, and side walls 4 provided with inturned flaps 5 at their upper edges.

A cover 6 is provided with end flanges 7 having backturned edge portions 8 adapted to engage the body flanges for locking the ends of the cover to the end walls of the body. The cover is further provided with slots 9 for admitting clips 10 into engagement with the body end walls and body flanges to retain the cover flanges in locking position.

The side edges 11 of the cover are adapted to extend longitudinally of the body substant ally 1n registry with the upper edges of the sidewalls 4, and preferably spaced slightly inwardly from said edges to avoid hazard of engagement with bodies that may contact the sides of the box.

Fixed to the side walls of the body at the upper edges thereof, and projecting above sa d edges, are tabs or tongues 12, preferably formed by slitting the flaps 5 transversely to produce parallel side edges 13 of tongues, whereby the tongues are hingedly connected by a flexible ringe 14 with the upper edges of the side walls and are integral therewith.

The tongues are located intermediately of the ends of the side walls, and preferably centrally of the flaps, and longitudinally elongated slots 15 and 16 are formed in the coveradjacent the side edges thereof in cen tral position in the cover, to receive the tongues.

The slots are spaced from the side edges of the cover proportionately to the length of the tongues, to permit the tongues to be bent over the cover, enter the slot from above, and engage the under face of the cover. The spacing of the slots from the side edges of the cover produces retaining strip portions 17 comprising latching books or loops with which the tongues are locked.

The cover fastening means described is especially applicable to boxes formed of fibre board, pulp board and the like, and when the boxes are formed of double faced corrugated board as illustrated, the flap portions 18 on each sidefof thetongues 12 may be inbent to normal position, while the tongue may be bent on lines upwardly offset from the flap hinges .to overlie the cover.

The end portions of the tongues which enter the slots may be distortedslightly as indicated at 19, while the portions of the cover at the edges of the slots will also be slightly distorted as at 20, so that the extremities 21 of the tongues will tend to engage the cover.

In order to permit the insertions of the tongues in the slots, and assure the desired engagement of the tongues with the cover, hinges 22 are formed in the tongues preferably by scoring or creasing the same, whereby movement of the outer ends of the tongues to horizontal. fully inserted position is facilitated. The score lines are applied transversely to the inner sides of the flaps forming the tongues in suitably spaced relation with the end edges and body-connected edges of the tongues to provide web-like'hook portions for overlying the hooks 17 of the cover.

In manipulating a box constructed as described, the flap portions 18 will be inbent, the tongues outbent, the cover applied, and the end hooks of the body and cover will be interlocked and fastened by the clips.

The tongues, extending outwardly from the box, will then be bent arouatel-y over the cover and inserted in the slots, and will se= curely fasten the center portions of the cover to the body, holding the edges of the cover in engagement with the upper edges of the body side walls and the body flaps.

The scoring of the tongues promotes the horizontal movement of the outer ends of the tongues beneath the cover,

The portions of the tongues which overlie the strips or hooks 17 of the cover may easily be engaged by the fingers or a hook for withdrawing the tongues and releasing the central portions of the cover from the body.

When the box is to be opened, the end hooks may be disengaged, and the tongue on one edge of the body may be disengaged from the cover, so that the cover may be pivoted on the opposite tongue. Each tongue, therefore, provides connecting means between] the body and the cover, and forms a hinge-like fasten.- ing means for attaching the adjacent edge of the cover to the body.

A tongue may be for-med on any selected edge of a box member, and a corresponding slot or retaining hook provided at the Corresponding edge of the other box member, ac.- cording to the means provided-in a particular form of box for fastening other; cover edges to the body. In the illustrated example, the invention is applied to a box having end hooks, and the side edges of the cover are fastened to the body by tongues comprising portions of body wall flaps.

While the tongues will tend to move into substantially horizontal position when inserted in the cover slots, the contents of the box when the same is full will tend to direct the tongues into parallel relation with the cover.

\Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. In combination with a box comprising a body, a detachable cover and means for securing the ends of the cover to the ends of the body, tongues extending upward from the edges of the body, the cover being provided with slots in its top and intermediate the ends thereof to receive the tongues for fastening portions of the cover to the body.

2. In a box including a body having side and end walls, a detachable cover having side edges adapted to substantially register with the side walls of the body, and means for securing the ends of the cover to the end walls of the body, tongues on the side walls of the body adapted to project above the upper edges thereof, the cover having slots in its top and parallel to the sides thereof to receive said tongues for fastening the intermediate portion of the cover to the side walls of the body.

8, In a box including a body having side and end walls provided respectively with inwardly bent flaps and outwardly bent flanges, a cover having flanges engageable with said body flanges and slotsadjacent its side edges, and tongues comprising slitted portions of the body flaps adapted to be inserted downwardly in the cover slots for fastening the side edges of the cover to the side walls of the body.

4;. In a box comprising a body including side walls, a detachable cover having centrally positioned slots in its top adjacent and parallel to its side edges, and tongues extending from the upper edges of the side walls of the body and adapted to be bent over the top edge of the cover and inserted into the slots for fastening'the central portion of the cover to the side walls of the body.

5. In a box including a body and a detachable cover having longitudinally extending slots in its top and adjacent its edges, a cover fastening means comprising tongues on opposite edges of the box'adapted to be bent over the side edges and top of the cover and extended into the slots.

6. In a box including a body having side and end walls provided respectively with inwardly bent flaps and outwardly bent flanges,

a cover having flanges interlocking with said body flanges and slots adjacent its side edges, and tongues on the sides of the body adapted to extend over the side edges of the cover and into the slots for securing the side edges of the cover to the body.

7. In a box including a body having side and end walls provided respectively with inwardly bent flaps and outwardly bent flanges, a cover having flanges engageable with the body flanges and slots adjacent its side edges, and tongues extending upwardly in the plane of the side walls of the body and adapted to be bent over the side edges of the cover and extended laterally through said. slots to lock the cover against the inwardly bent flanges.

8. In a box including a body having side walls provided with inwardly bent flaps, a detaehable cover comprising a flat sheet having side edges supported on the inwardly bent flaps, and having longitudinally extending slots adjacent the side ed es and tongues on the body adapted to be hent over the side edges of the cover and extended through the slots to lock the side edges of the cover against the inwardly bent flaps.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROY D. ANDERSON. 

